Today's session discussed the final section of Harrison's V. Class discussion involved a consideration of the significance of the media images within the poem and the significance of the epitaph. Students were encouraged to consider the incredible range of allusions and cultural and historical references that populate this poem...from football and lager to nineteenth century French literature and allusions to eighteenth century British canonical poetry. The range of reference in this poem is astonishing. The highlight of the lesson was Ellie 'telling me off' for stereotyping bankers as 'greedy bastards'!
HOMEWORK: I would like students to produce a one [or two] paragraph response to the question:
HOW SIGNIFICANT IS GRAY'S ELEGY WHEN
CONSIDERING MEANING IN HARRISON'S V?
I would like students to focus upon form and the significance of the iambic quatrain. Why does Harrison use these allusions? Students should not just consider the thematic similarity between each text.
REMEMBER....consider whether it is possible to fully comprehend Harrison's aim in V if the reader is not aware of Harrison's use of the form and thematic concern of Gray's famous poem?
I would like this written work handed to Sam on Wednesday. I would like to mark this response before our next session. This paragraph will be useful for students when constructing our Tony Harrison essay.
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